WHAT was the real history and character of Jesus Christ?
Mr. Everett had a right to consider my expressions, relative to this
subject contained in my first work, as "far from being explicit;" for
in fact I hardly knew what to think of the unparalelled son of Mary.
That he was a pious and blameless man, I conceived that no man
of good heart could doubt, while the supposition that he claimed to
be the Messiah, I believed and still believe to be incompatible with
such a character as his.
With the reader's permission, I will now state what I conceive may
have been the real truth with regard to him.
I believe that Jesus of Nazareth was certainly a righteous man,
and probably one who wished to bring back his countrymen, to a
rational observance of the law, and to abandon their traditions.
He appeared in an age when the religious part of the Jewish
nation had made the law in many respects of none effect by those
traditions, and had rendered their religion a stumbling block to the
Gentiles, by reason of the puerile superstitions they had added to
it: thus counteracting the express design, for which they had been
set apart from other nations, viz. to bring them to the knowledge
and acknowledgement of the unity and supremacy of God;) and
violating the command of Moses, "ye shall not add unto the word
which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it; for
this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the
nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, surely this
great nation is a wise and understanding people." Deut. ch. iv.--
and when the irreligious part of the nation, had become dreadfully
corrupt.
The Jewish people at that time were oppressed and despised; the
prophets of the Old Testament had taught them to believe that at
a time when their oppressions should be at their height, their
Messiah should appear. Of consequence the appearance of such
a man as Jesus Christ, at that time when they considered
themselves as crushed under the Roman yoke, possibly led them
or some of them to believe that he might be their expected
deliverer. But the Jewish nation at that time were unworthy of such
a deliverance. They longed for their Messiah, not for
righteousness, but for vengeance sake; not to hail him as the
benefactor of the human race, but as the avenger of their wrongs
upon all the world who had crushed and despised them.
Such a people were not the lawful candidates for the happiness of
the eternal kingdom; and they afterwards learned, by the event of
their struggle with the Romans, that they must not expect
deliverance till they had become less unworthy of it.
Jesus, by preaching against the traditions of the elders, by not
observing the Sabbath day so rigidly as the Pharisees, by
denouncing them as hypocrites, tithers of mint anise and cummin,
washers of plates and platters, and neglecters of the weightier
matters of the law, justice, judgment, and mercy, as serpents, a
generation of vipers, whited sepulchres, and what not, had
enraged these superstitious fanatics to the last degree. But they
could not wreak their vengeance, because he was protected, by
the people whom the gospels represent as expecting with the
most anxious impatience, that he would announce himself as their
deliverer.[fn100] But when repeated importunity, accompanied by
an attempt to seize upon him and by compulsion oblige him to
head them, terminated only in causing Jesus to escape and
withdraw himself from their wishes [fn101] the people were
disgusted, and abandoned him.
The Chief Priests and Pharisees took advantage of this
abandonment, to seize him and deliver him to the Roman
governor as a dangerous man, who either was willing to head the
people against the Romans, or who might be made the pretext of
an insurrection, as the people had shown a disposition to
recognize him as the Messiah. [fn102] Such I believe to be as
near an approximation to the true history of Jesus Christ, as can
be made at this day.
Let us now review the points I have endeavoured to establish in
this work.
1. I have endeavoured to show that the miracles, supposed by Mr.
Everett to have been wrought by Jesus in proof of his
Messiahship, cannot be proved; because that the New Testament
is not to be depended on as competent testimony for the real
history and real doctrines of Jesus of Nazareth; and therefore, that
the question of his Messiahship must in all events be decided by
an appeal to the Old Testament.
2. It has been shown, that the prophecies of the Messiah
contained in the Old Testament, have not been fulfilled in Jesus;
and that those prophecies which Mr. Everett regards as proofs of
the Christian religion, were also not fulfilled in Jesus.
3. It has been shown that the law of Moses was intended for a
perpetual law for the Jewish nation, "through all their generations
forever;" and of course that it is, and must be perpetually
obligatory upon them; and consequently whether JESUS BE THE
MESSIAH, OR NOT, the Jews are bound to adhere to the law of
Moses.[fn104]
4. It has been shown, that [fn105] it is absolutely impossible to
know the real history of Jesus with certainty; the Jews and
Christians ought for the future to consider his character, not as a
subject of dispute, nor an occasion of quarrel, much less as a
cause of mutual aversion, but merely as a matter of speculation.
Should these positions ever be recognised by the Jews and
Christians as reasonable and true, let us consider what, may be
the consequence.
1. The Christians become sensible, that the New Testament is not
to be depended on, would cease to hate, to persecute, and to
annoy the unfortunate Jews, on account of their rejecting its
doctrines.
2. The Christians would themselves adhere to the Old Testament,
as the rock and rule of faith and morals; and would worship with
the Jews the One Jehovah, without equal or companion, and obey
the moral law of the Old Testament, leaving the observance of its
ceremonial institutions to the nation for whom they were
intended:[fn106] like the "devout Gentiles" in the time of Josephus
and Christ.
3. The Jews, seeing the Christians Unitarians as well as
themselves, would cease to regard the Christians as impious
idolaters, and cruel enemies.
4. Both parties would worship and serve God as brethren, and
children of the same father; and await in faith and hope the
appearance of the GREAT PERSONAGE, who is to make them
and all the good part of mankind, perfectly happy.
Should what I have written have any tendency to promote union
and friendly feelings, between the parties to a dispute which has
for nearly eighteen hundred years occasioned such cruel
oppressions and bloody persecutions to the side which is in the
right, I shall not have lived in vain; and though the cause in which I
have exerted myself has occasioned me much detriment and
distress,[fn107] and may possibly ultimately oblige me to die in a
foreign land, without a friend to close my eyes; I comfort my heart
with the hope, that I may have done somewhat for the great cause
of truth, justice, and humanity, and for the promotion of mutual
regard and friendly feelings, among a very large portion of the
human race.